We’re so glad you asked! Teach Them Diligently Convention is designed with entire family units in mind! It is our family’s desire that your family will come and be encouraged and equipped together. We have a number of ways your children can get involved.
ENDURE the Race
Our children’s program this year is called ENDURE the Race. All “junior runners” between the ages of 4 and 12 can register for this awesome event! The Apostle Paul often used athletic contests as powerful illustrations of the Christian life, but he did not generally point our attention to the quickest or strongest athletes. His focus was instead on those that ran the race with endurance. With the Olympic Games fresh in our memory, this year’s theme focuses on heroes of the faith, and how they “ran the race” they were called to run with endurance.
Dr. Nathan Crockett is the Director of Ministry Training at Bob Jones University where he teaches several undergraduate Bible classes. Nathan has served as a youth pastor, interim senior pastor, and currently leads Rooted, the young adult ministry of Morningside Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. Nathan regularly preaches at churches, teen camps, children’s venues, and student leadership conferences.
David Overly serves as the Assistant to the Vice President of Ministerial Advancement for BJU. He is currently involved with recruiting initiatives, speaking at conferences, and event planning. He graduated from BJU in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Cell Biology, and he is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Communication.
Nathan and David are excited to be returning to Teach Them Diligently Convention and leading our children’s program.
The children’s program will commence Friday morning a little before the workshop sessions begin. The children will break for lunch with their families and resume their activities until dinner time. Saturday’s schedule will be the same. The cost of this program is $50 per child (t-shirt included). Children can be added to your registration at any time as long as space allows.
Everyone who is over 18 years old that will be working with the children will complete a background check. Those younger than 18 will be coming through the Servant Leadership Track and will be accountable to the team leadership.
4:12 Program for Teens
I Timothy 4:12 tells us to “let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
The Four-12 program will seek to equip and train your teens to become wholly- devoted, servant-hearted biblical leaders seeking to please Christ in all they do. Four-12 will feature in-depth teaching sessions about how to grow into Christ-likeness and how they can influence the world in which they live for Christ.
There is NO COST for the teen program this year, but your teen does need to be registered.
Your teen will have the opportunity to hear Biblical discussions on life issues facing 21st century teens. The eternal truth of God’s Word speaks to the chaotic world around us. We can find hope and confidence in Scripture for the many questions we face today. The 4-12 teen program is designed to inspire and instruct your teens to follow God and be Christlike examples among their siblings and peers. Specifically, the LifeTalk sessions provide teaching and discussion on relevant issues. Topics include Devotions, Relationships, Leadership, Communication, God’s Will, and more! We hope your teen will join us for these informative and helpful sessions. With speakers such as Sam Horn, Nathan Crockett, Chuck Kittrell, and others, your teen will benefit greatly from this program.
What about our 12-year old?
Children of all ages are very important, and at Teach Them Diligently, we know that each child develops at his own pace. That’s why we’re offering parents the option to use their own discernment in selecting programming for their 12 year olds. Feel like they’ll benefit from being grouped with others in the age-specific “runners” in the ENDURE the Race program? They’re more than welcome to Enlist! Or they would be welcome in Four-12 Teen Track.
As we did last year, we are also working on special offerings specific to this age group to be held throughout the weekend. Our suggestion is that you stay plugged in to our blog and read more about each program as the information becomes available. Once you’ve seen what’s in store, you’ll be better equipped to make an informed decision as to the best fit for your child.
And if I prefer to keep my children with me?
They are welcome to attend any and all sessions with their parents. We are home educating families who are accustomed to being together, working together and learning together. Families absolutely have the freedom to choose to do so at the convention as well. To help accommodate those with smaller children who may have a hard time sitting still through all the sessions, we are setting up a toddler room at each location. In that room, there will be audio and visual feeds available from the keynote session for you to enjoy while your little one gets some energy out. We will also have close circuit TV in the main hall outside of the keynote session auditorium at all sites.
If you have further questions about the children’s programs at Teach Them Diligently Convention, don’t hesitate to ask. You can leave a comment here, and we’ll respond as soon as we can.
If you still haven’t registered, what are you waiting for? We’d love to have you! Register here.